bring me out here to drown
by sixdegreesofseperation
Summary: she spent the rest of the day on the bleachers crying, because she lost a boy she never really had. prequel to 'i feel like that'. marley/jake/kitty marley/sam kitty/jake AU. for burnouts


**Post 4x02. AU from there. Prequel to 'I feel like that'.**

* * *

_We accept the love we think we deserve._

_-_Stephen Chbosky

* * *

She almost finds it funny how quickly things change. One minute they were talking and making progress and the next, the (crazy, bitchy and conceited) blonde cheerio was putting a label on them.

She understood, they had just began talking and there was no chance that he liked her but the fact that Unique and the rest of the girls were right about Jake made her feel sick to the stomach. He treated her differently before, and now, she could only watch as Kitty was trying to shove her hand down his pants in the middle of the hallway.

(_Ugh._)

* * *

For weeks, she would watch them and examine every flaw in their so called 'relationship'. She would often gossip with Unique and Tina about the 'It Couple'. And when she said 'gossip', she actually meant _101 Way To Tear Down Kitty 'I'mTooCoolForALastName'_.

Sometimes, she would see Kitty send her coy smirks and secretive winks over Jake's shoulder. But it didn't matter.

What mattered was the fact that the blonde cheerio was able to join her one and only escape in her daily life; _Glee Club._

From then on, she would see Jake and her constantly sing a duet together or make out in the corner of the room whenever she sang a solo. It _pissed_ her off. Even when it was _her _moment to shine, Kitty had to steal him away from her.

She vowed to win him back (even if it meant getting her hands dirty).

* * *

She was standing next to her locker when she heard the news.

Kitty and Jake were caught doing the deed in the auditorium.

Not only was Kitty having underage (how old was she again? 15? or was it _14_?) sex, but Jake chose to do it with _her_. Sure, he was a womanizer and Marley _knew_ that, but why did it have to be Kitty of all people? She wouldn't be as hurt if he chose to sleep with _Unique_.

(She spent the rest of the day on the bleachers crying, because she lost a boy she never really had.)

* * *

By the time it was Christmas, Marley had almost given up on her infatuation with the bad-boy. It was the last day of school and they would be back a few days after the New Years which gave her just enough time to compose herself and move on.

(She wished it could be _that_ easy.)

It seemed that Sam Evans was some kind of do-gooder. When Marley numbly stared at Kitty and Jake making out near the lockers after school, the blonde senior walked up to her and smiled mischievously, noticing her gaze.

"Follow my lead," he whispered before he leaned against her locker and laughed intentionally.

Marley's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline as she wondered if he was insane or something.

"You wanna come over my place on Sunday? We could practice that new song that came out. I reckon Schue would get a kick out of it."

Marley noticed the way his eyes twinkled and the way he leaned forward, so close she could feel his breath on her forehead. The brunette noticed Jake pull away from his girlfriend and stare at her back.

"Sure, I would love that!" She answered enthusiastically.

As she walked away, she pretended that Jake wasn't really following her with his eyes (and she also pretended that the tears that gathered in her eyes weren't real).

* * *

Before Sam picks her up in his old car, she ignores the seven texts that Jake managed to send her over the course of this hour. She thought that Sam was just kidding when he invited her over on Friday, but he was actually set on singing with her tonight.

She liked singing. It was her escape.

When she entered the small but homely apartment, she noticed the various guitars scattered around and a box of ready dinner sitting on the counter. "I didn't know you lived alone."

"Yeah, my parents stayed back. I moved back here last year alone."

* * *

After a twenty minutes of talking, laughing and drinking Sam's cheap beer, he kisses her. And not the innocent type either.

He bites her lips and glides his tongue along hers and she feels the excitement pooling in her lower stomach.

Before she knows it, she gives her virginity to Sam Evans, drunk and wishing it was someone else in his place.

Except what she likes about Sam was that he was the complete opposite of Jake. He was her harbour; safe, warm and gentle while Jake was more like a wild ocean, constantly pulling and pushing her (_and hurting her more than she would like to admit_).

* * *

When she get's home, Sam kisses her goodnight and tells her to call him tomorrow (she never does).

She finally breaks down when it's New Year's and she realises she's in love with Jake.

* * *

When she gets back to school, Kitty welcomes her with a Slushy in the face. It doesn't even bother her, Marley realises. The substance is cold and it prickles her eyes and skin but Marley is too fascinated in the hurt look on Kitty's face.

"He broke up with me because of _you_."

But Marley knows that _that_ isn't the reason she got a cherry facial. She knows that because Kitty's bottom lip always twitches slightly whenever she's lying and her eyes crease as if she's trying too hard to act like she's telling the truth.

But she doesn't question her motives and let's the cheerio walk past her.

* * *

The next time she's singing, Sam sends her an understanding smile. He knows that whatever happened between them during Christmas Eve wasn't real.

They had hooked up once under the influence of alcohol. One more thing she liked about Sam; she knew he wouldn't throw her aside when she admitted that she just wanted to be friends.

* * *

The Glee Club along with Kitty watch as Jake storms inside the classroom and pulls Marley to him, kissing her fiercely. A few people cat-call and wolf-whistle and Marley finds herself smiling against his lips.

She's always preferred the ocean.

* * *

**Review? Love heart.**


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